Dive Brief:
- LG Electronics USA is hosting a pop-up bar in New York this week to showcase its latest refrigerator as a home entertainment appliance, the company announced in a press release. The LG InstaView models feature a special ice maker with three different types of "craft" ice — from slow-melting, round varietes to classic cubed or crushed — as the focal point of the marketing promotion.
- The brand is serving cocktails with these various ice cubes to pitch the features of the refrigerator at "The Craft Ice House by LG" pop-up. Influential mixologists will be at the event to serve drinks, and rappers Vanilla Ice and Ice-T will partake in a cocktail competition.
- The pop-up also features "The Ultimate Dance Party" and a concert hosted by Sofar Sounds NYC. It will be open from Sept. 19-22 and guests can RSVP on LG's website. The brand is also demonstrating its LG QuadWash dishwasher at the events to promote its features as helpful post-party cleanup tools.
Dive Insight:
By hosting an experiential event in NYC with influential mixologists and entertainers with some nostalgia power, LG can more deeply connect its message of entertainment and goods times with its appliances, and potentially generate social media conversations as attendees snap and share photos online from the event.
The pop-up plays up the aspirational uses of LG appliances. Refrigerators are a must-have item, but pushing them as the support center for creative cocktail parties is a way to associate LG with many consumers' dream lifestyle and kitchen. Interestingly, the Craft Ice House pop-up plays on four distinct home settings — a family room, garden patio, whiskey library and game room — illustrating how LG is doubling down on its promise to provide a functional appliance and be the support system for key consumers who enjoy entertaining.
LG has previously used experiential activations to show off the uses of its appliances. The brand last year offered free laundry services and a vintage clothing swap as part of a massive Bonnaroo activation. In 2017, LG hosted a "dishwasher-themed" water park during a New York outdoor event.
A memorable in-person activation might resonate more deeply with consumers, especially as LG posts record sales this year.
